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Forgive Us Our Debts
“And forgive us our debts, even as we forgive our debtors.”
(Matthew 6:12)
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
(Matthew 6:12, KJV)
Though the language of this petition is financial language, in the context, Jesus is using this language to reflect that which we owe to others as a result of sin (which is why some people say “transgressions” here—though I have yet to find a translation of the Bible that reads “transgressions” and not debits). This is the only petition of the prayer that our Lord actually goes back to and explains (see Matthew 6:14-15) and when he explains the petition, he does so in terms of our sins.
This, indeed, is our great spiritual need—to be forgiven. Christ begins the list of petitions for our needs by addressing our physical needs and now he moves to the spiritual—the mental will come next. But also note, that while this is our great need, this is also the only petition of this prayer that is qualified by something that we must do—that is to forgive.
This is heavy stuff. What we are praying to God is that he should forgive us in the same way we forgive others. If we withhold forgiveness, we are telling him that he should withhold it from us as well. This is a terribly high standard to have before us if we are entirely honest. Certainly, there are some people who it is relatively easy to forgive, but then again, there are others who have hurt us so badly and so deeply that forgiveness seems impossible—yet loved ones, with God, all things, all things are possible.
You who have been forgiven so much in the eyes of God, how can you fail to forgive others? We owe a debit to God for our sin that we could never even begin to repay, yet Christ chose to pay it on our behalf—and pay it he did, in his own blood. No wickedness that another man can do to you, no matter how hurtful and severe, can come close to the wickedness of your sin in the eyes of a Holy God. Even the angels shield their eyes in God’s presence. Yet for you, believer, God has not withheld his forgiveness—how is it that you can withhold forgiveness from others?
Jesus never ceases to stretch us as we grow in faith, and to take seriously the words of this prayer, we are forced to grow beyond ourselves. The reality is that it is impossible for us to forgive some people on our own strength—the hurt is just too deep and it is not in our heart to do so. That is why we ask God to change our hearts and conform them to his will—that we may forgive even where it seems impossible to do so. Beloved, will you pray that God will enable you to forgive others as he has forgiven you?
Thy Kingdom Come
“May your kingdom come; may your will come to pass, as in heaven, so too on earth.”
(Matthew 6:10)
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
(Matthew 6:10, KJV)
Beloved, in heaven, the angels wait, ready and prepared—anxious to serve God’s every command. Their actions define absolute obedience, and while they wait for God’s next task, they stay busy worshiping before the throne. So, tell me, does that describe your life? Is perfect obedience to God’s will what you are striving toward? If you are praying this prayer, then that is what you are asking God to make your life look like. In heaven there is no hemming and hawing about doing what God commands, it is simply done. To pray that his will would be done on earth is to pray that your life and every life around you will be conformed to that same image.
Now, there will come a time, when God remakes the earth, free from the effects of the fall, that His will will be done as eagerly on earth as it is done in heaven. But right now, I don’t think that most of us fall comfortably into that category. I know that I wrestled with my own calling to the ministry for 5 years before God finally said, “enough.”
When you pray this prayer, you are asking God to conform you to obedience. You are asking him to conform your every desire to his will. Sadly, as I reflect on my own life and my own struggles to grow in obedience, I am not entirely sure whether I am ready for God’s will to be done in my life as it is done in heaven. Are you ready? Were God to call you to sell everything you own and leave for the mission field, would you be willing and ready to do it or would you hem and haw and find excuses not to? Abram was 75 years old when God called him into service.
As you reflect on this portion of the prayer, reflect on your motives for doing things in life. Is Jesus the reason you do what you do? Is he the reason you get up in the morning? Is the reason you draw breath to do God’s will? Do you live or do to the glory of God? This is what you are praying for when you pray this prayer.
Thy Kingdom Come
“May your kingdom come; may your will come to pass, as in heaven, so too on earth.”
(Matthew 6:10)
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
(Matthew 6:10, KJV)
We now move to the second and third of the three petitions that we pray with an aim toward God’s glory. Both of these petitions begin with an imperative (may it come and may it be done). In Greek, when imperatives are used in this way, they place stress upon the request that is being made, but do so in a polite way (i.e. it is not a command). In other words, the force of this request is found in the heartfelt desire that God fulfill these requests.
The first of these requests is that God’s kingdom come. We must understand what we are praying for here. God’s kingdom was inaugurated in the earthly ministry of Christ (Mark 1:15), yet, the fullness of God’s kingdom will not come until the full number of elect from every tribe and nation are gathered into the kingdom and Christ comes again. Right now, we are somewhere in the middle, in the tension between what has already happened and what is yet to come (theologians cleverly call this “the already and the not-yet” J).
Thus, when we pray for God’s kingdom to come, we are not praying for what has already happened, but we are praying for what has yet to come—namely the second coming of Christ. Friends, for some of us, this is a dangerous prayer, for while I am ready to see my Lord and Savior return, there are many, many people I care about that are definitely not ready for such a thing to happen. For me, Christ’s return means redemption from this fallen state into a glorified body that will know no sin and spend eternity in the presence with Christ himself. For those who are not ready, Christ’s return means judgment and eternal condemnation.
Friends, make sure that when you are praying this prayer, you understand fully for what you are praying. At the same time, as Jesus has not yet returned, make good use of the opportunities you have to share the gospel with those you are in contact with. Find others who do not know the Lord in a personal and saving way and share the gospel with them as well. Ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that brings someone to faith or not, but if you don’t take the gospel to them, they will not hear the words of life.
Reverencing God’s Name
“Thus you shall pray in this way: Our Father, who is in the heavens, let your name be reverenced.” (Matthew 6:9)
“After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9, KJV)
I wonder whether we spend enough time in our own lives reflecting on the nature an attributes of our God. God is to be reverenced; his name is hallowed; God is the very definition of holiness and righteousness and purity and power. God is glorious above all things that we think of as glorious. And he is wonderful and just. He is light and truth. He is the beginning of all things and the end of all things. He is God and God alone.
We should adore God for who he is. All too often, when we speak of why we worship, we only speak of worship in relationship to what God has done for us. Indeed, we should be eternally grateful for what he has done for us and worship him as a result. But don’t let yourself fall into the trap of worshiping him wholly based on what he has done, because that will lead you to a self-centered relationship with him. When things are good you will worship with gusto. When things are bad, you will be lead to question. Worship God first for who he is and then for what he has done.
Think about things in this manner. When you go to a fine restaurant and dine on a fine meal, you naturally praise the chef. You don’t praise him because he has done you any special favors. You paid a fair price for the meal and it can be assumed that the chef prepares equally fine dishes for each and every patron of the establishment. You praise the chef for two reasons. First, because the chef has demonstrated his skills by creating a meal that was remarkable in every way. It would be rude not to compliment him on his skills in the kitchen. And secondly, you praise the chef because it brings a sense of satisfaction to you and it is pleasing to do so. Given that we are assuming that none of us are world-renown food critics, writing for a prestigious culinary magazine and given that the chef has already secured for himself a good job at a respected restaurant, it would seem that the chef neither needs your compliments nor would be heartbroken without them, never-the-less, they are pleasing to him as well.
Now, let us turn our eyes toward God’s work. Certainly, God is infinitely more remarkable than a fine chef. He demonstrates his glory in his works of creation. And just as God is infinitely more praiseworthy than a fine chef, it is infinitely more appropriate that he be praised. He neither needs our praise nor is his existence based upon it—he is God—yet he gracefully accepts our praises and is pleased by them. Just as it would have been rude to deny the chef praise for his fine meal, it is infinitely more rude—in fact, downright damnable—to deny God praise for his being who he is and for his revelation of his glory in the universe. And, just as it is satisfying and pleasurable to praise the chef for his fine creation—it is infinitely more satisfying and pleasurable to praise God for his being. In fact, since God is the most infinitely fine and good thing that we might praise, I would suggest that the praising of God brings the highest and most infinite pleasure and satisfaction.
Friends, it is a joyous thing to worship the great King of the Universe not just for what he has done, but simply for who he is, and that is why unbelievers who refuse to praise God stand guilty—because their offence, is infinitely condemnable. We don’t often think in these terms, but we must. One of the things that the Baptist preacher, John Piper regularly points out is that God desires us to worship him not because he is needy, but because we are needy and God understands that the worship of him is the highest pleasure that we can experience and he wants us to experience that pleasure.
Hallowed be Thy Name
“Thus you shall pray in this way: Our Father, who is in the heavens, let your name be reverenced.” (Matthew 6:9)
“After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9, KJV)
In the opening statement of this prayer, we also make a statement that calls for God’s name to be hallowed or reverenced. The term that is used here is the Greek word a�gia¿zw (hagiazo), which is a verb that means “to make sanctified, consecrated, or reverenced. It is related to the noun a‚gioß (hagios), which refers to something that has been dedicated toward holy use, and is the word we translate as “saint” when it comes to dealing with believers in Jesus Christ. When we call someone a saint, we are not commending their Godliness as the Catholic church would suggest, but we are recognizing that God has set them apart for service—something that God does with every believer. Thus, when we speak of God’s name in such terms, we are not speaking of making God’s name holy—for holy it is without our help—but we speak of recognizing the holiness of God’s name. In fact, this verb is an imperative, which emphasizes all the more the urgency of recognizing the holiness of God and reflecting that in our lives.
Believers live with a sense of dichotomy. On one hand, we say “Our Father…” yet on the other hand, we are to express the deepest reverence when we come into his presence. Though you should adore the intimacy which God extends to us, when you come to him, it ought to make you tremble as well. As one of my professors often says, we should come into God’s presence with goose-bumps. It is he who spun the stars into space, who ordered the cosmos and everything in it, and who has written the history book of all creation who you are coming to and calling, “Daddy.” Treasure that privilege; it came at a terrible price.
Thus You Shall Pray
“Thus you shall pray in this way: Our Father, who is in the heavens, let your name be reverenced.” (Matthew 6:9)
“After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9, KJV)
This prayer begins with a wonderful statement of both faith and assurance. This is not a “dear God, whoever you are and wherever you are…” statement, but this prayer begins with a confident statement of exactly who God is, where he stands, and where you stand in relationship to him. The believer can refer to God as “Father” because of the work of Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfilled the old covenant that Adam failed to fulfill and he died a sacrificial death to pay the debit of sin that his people owe to God. He substituted himself in our place, taking the wrath of his father that we deserve, so that we might stand in his place and be adopted into his father’s household. Thus, in the confidence of our faith in Jesus Christ, we can boldly proclaim, “Our Father.”
But not only is this a statement of confidence in your relationship with the heavenly Father, but this is a statement where you affirm from the depths of your heart that you know and understand where God is. God is in heaven; he reigns over the earth, yet is not bound by the things of the earth; and God has the authority to do what he chooses for he is above all things. We as sinners are infinitely separated from God on high, yet he has chosen to make a way to bring us to himself. That in itself is an amazing statement! God does not need us, nor does he derive any part of himself from our existence or relationship with him, but it is his good pleasure to bring us to himself that we might enjoy him. That God would condescend to a relationship with a wretch like me is beyond my ability to comprehend—but I gratefully receive such grace and immerse myself in its awesome truth.
One of the things we often struggle with is saying “who art in heaven” when times are bad. When times are good, we revel in God’s sovereignty, but usually, when our lives fall apart, we cry out, wondering where God has gone to. We like to think of God as sovereign over good, but when it comes to God’s sovereignty over evil we balk. Yet, God is in control over all things. Though God is not the author of evil, he is sovereign over it. Evil does not frustrate his plans, but God uses the evil of this world to bring his plans to fruition. The question is, can you stand on God’s sovereignty in the midst of personal loss? Can you stand on God’s sovereignty when a loved one dies or a child dies suddenly? Can you stand on God’s sovereignty when people rape or molest or torture? These are not easy questions to answer, but if we are going to answer them Biblically, we must stand on the sovereignty of God, trusting that God has worked all things for the good of those who love him—even those things that are horrid in our eyes.
The Lord’s Prayer: Introduction
Introduction:
How many times have we prayed the Lord’s Prayer? Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of Thousands? I remember my parents teaching me this prayer as part of my bedtime prayers as a child, and as my son grows (and any other children the Lord may choose to give us), my intention is to teach this prayer to him as well. Memorization is a good thing, but sometimes, when we become terribly familiar with a song or a prayer, we fall into the trap of simply repeating words rather than dwelling on what those words are saying.
Thus, I would suggest that it is a good idea to every once in a while take the time to reflect on what those words mean and what they imply. And, in the case of the Lord’s Prayer, be sure that you know what it is that you are praying for. Thus, I thought it good for us to do just that. My prayer is that, over the next few days as we work through this prayer, you will gain a deeper appreciation for just what it is that Jesus has taught us to pray.
Yet, before we jump into the prayer itself, there are a few things by way of introduction that need to be laid out before us. First, this is given to us as a model prayer. This is not the only prayer we can pray, but it is set before us as a guide. There are many other prayers in the Bible that are commended to God’s people to pray. Jesus taught and prayed other prayers, though this is the one he most formally taught. I would encourage you to not only pray this prayer, but look to the Psalms and begin praying through some of them. Look to the prayers in Revelation or Paul’s epistles or in the book of Genesis. We can go on and on. The Bible is filled with prayers to support us in our spiritual growth—through both the good and the bad times.
Second, This prayer assumes that it is being prayed by a believer. It begins with, “Our Father…” Friends, if you are not a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you have no right to call God “Father.” It is presumptuous and arrogant. One of the problems with our culture is that people think that we are all God’s children. The Apostle John makes it abundantly clear in first epistle that there are two families: one of God and one of Satan (1 John 3:4-10). Everyone has a spiritual father to which they belong—believers are given the privilege to call God their father because of the work of Jesus Christ, unbelievers may only call Satan their father.
Third, this prayer is a corporate prayer—it begins with “Our…” While you may pray this for yourself, this prayer forces you to recognize that you cannot be inwardly focused as a Christian. We are part of a body and we should pray in a way that reflects our unity. When we pray, we pray for and on behalf of those we love, those in our Churches, and those in the Christian church worldwide.
Fourth, this prayer begins with petitions for the glory of God. It is a God-focused prayer, not a man focused prayer. Nearly half of this prayer (3 of 7 petitions) is focused on God’s glory. I wonder if our prayers reflect this. All too often, when we pray, we pray as if God is just a celestial gumball machine—we put a quarter-prayer in and expect a sweet treat out. God is not Santa Claus. Yes, he gives good gifts, but our prayers should not be, “gimmie, gimmie, gimmie…”
Lastly, when Jesus teaches this prayer, he teaches it on the assumption that prayer is a part of a believer’s life. He does not say, “if you pray, pray like this…” No, Jesus says, “When you pray…” A healthy prayer life is something that many believers struggle with. And one of the reasons that we struggle with it is because Satan loves to run interference, bringing us to frustration or distraction. Prayer is one of the most amazing privileges that a believer has and it should be cherished and looked forward to. It is something that should be so natural to us that it becomes a part of who we are—because it is a part of who we are.
One last note: when most of us learned the Lord’s prayer, we learned it with the language of the old King James Version. Though I usually do my own translation work, this passage just does not sound the same outside of the King James English, thus, I have included it as well. I pray that both translations of this wonderful prayer will speak to your heart.
Forgiveness is not Optional
“For if you should forgive people their offenses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you should not forgive people, neither will your father forgive you your offenses.”
(Matthew 6:14-15)
“For if your Hebrew brother or Hebrew [person] is sold to you, he will serve you six years, and in the seventh year you will release him from being with you. And when you send him free from being with you, you shall not send him out with empty hands. You shall surely provide abundantly for him from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat. For Yahweh, your God, has blessed you; you shall give to him. And you shall remember—for you were a slave in the land of Egypt and Yahweh, your God, redeemed you. Because of this, I command this thing of you today.”
(Deuteronomy 15:12-15)
“And you shall make holy the year of the fiftieth year and you will proclaim liberty in the land to all who dwell there. It is to be a jubilee for you. And you will return, each man to his possession and each man to his family. You shall return.”
(Leviticus 25:10)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for the sake of which, he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the recovery of sight to the blind and to send forgiveness to those who are broken down—to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
(Luke 4:18-19)
“And all who believed were with each other, and they held all things in common.”
(Acts 2:44)
One of the things that you find as you study scripture is that there are themes that begin in the Old Testament and are developed to their fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. These themes, as they develop, point more and more to the need of something greater than simply a human fulfillment and are meant to show us our absolute need of Christ to fulfill what we cannot do on our own. This theme of the Sabbatical year and the Year of Jubilee is one of them.
According to ancient Jewish law, God commanded that every seventh year, those who were in debit to you were to be let free and pardoned (see the passage from Deuteronomy (above). This principle was based on two things. First, it represented the principle of the Sabbath being applied to all of life. Not only then were masters to have their servants and slaves rest on the seventh day, but in the seventh year, their slaves were to be freed and sent away with enough wealth that they could start off a new life on good financial footing.
The second principle that this is based on is the principle of God’s release of the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt. Because they had been slaves at one time, and God redeemed them from their oppressors, they were always to remember that and do the same for the slaves in their household. And as they had left Egypt with great possessions, so too, should their slaves leave their households with great possessions. The language of the passage is forceful and stresses the idea that this command of God was not an abstract rule that he was giving them, but they had an obligation to their slaves that flowed out of their very national identity. They are ones who had been redeemed—they then must be redeemers of others.
As an important side note, earlier in this chapter about the Sabbatical year, where God is talking about the forgiveness of personal debits, there is a promise that if the people would be faithful in this, God would bless their land and there would be no poor amongst them. Oftentimes, it was poverty and debit that forced people into slavery. Were this principle enforced, people would not only pay off all of their debits through six years of labor, but they would get a fresh start with new possessions from the master—the wealth would not be hoarded, but distributed amongst the people. There would still be some who were wealthier than others, but no one in the land would be in need.
In a similar vein, the Jews were to celebrate a year of Jubilee every 50th year. Not only were debits forgiven in the Year of Jubilee, but family lands that had been sold to pay debits were to be returned to their rightful families. It was to be a year dedicated to the worship of God and all he did and a year dedicated to restoring family bonds and connections.
The problem with all of this is that the people did not follow through on the command that God had given them to fulfill the Sabbatical year or the Year of Jubilee. To do so would have represented a huge financial loss to those in power financially. Human beings, because of sin, tend to be rather selfish, and the promise of no poor in the land was not an incentive for the wealthy class to relinquish part of their wealth.
As the misery and poverty that resulted from the people’s failure grew, God issued a new promise through the prophet Isaiah. Because the people could not fulfill the year of Jubilee, God would do it for them. Isaiah proclaims that a messiah would come who would proclaim this year of the Lord’s favor (Isaiah 61:1-3). In Jesus’ first recorded sermon in his hometown (Luke 4:18-19), Jesus quotes this passage from Isaiah and states that the prophecy has been fulfilled and it is fulfilled in him.
You see, Christians live in the year of Jubilee, for the ultimate year of Jubilee is in Christ. Many people wonder, when they see the picture of the early church sharing everything (Acts 2:42-47), what is going on here. They oftentimes think of this as some kind of Christian communism. That is not the case at all. There were still those who were more wealthy than others. The people understood that Christ had ushered in the Year of Jubilee in its fullness, and they were celebrating it! As a result, not only did the church grow, but God blessed it so that there was no want or need.
Obviously, this model did not continue—it is a very special picture of a very special time. And it is meant to be a pointer to what living as the church will be like when we enjoy eternity with Christ in the new heavens and earth—free from the effects of sin. At the same time, it is a reminder to us, that we live in the year of Jubilee, and as we have been forgiven our debits by God, we also must forgive the debits of others. Just as it was God’s command that the debits (financial and otherwise) be forgiven between God’s people in the ancient Jewish time, so too, we must forgive the debits of others in the life of the church as well.
Loved ones, we are not the rich men, owning many slaves to release. We are the poor slave, oppressed by sin, and God has proclaimed our release in this year of Jubilee that was inaugurated by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. How is it then, that you who have been forgiven so much can justify holding forgiveness against another—especially against our brothers who, in this year of jubilee, are seeking to return home to the Christian family.
Forgiving Others
“For if you should forgive people their offenses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you should not forgive people, neither will your father forgive you your offenses.”
(Matthew 6:14-15)
While the language of this passage is fairly clear and explicit, conveying what Jesus wants us to understand, there are some things about this passage that we need to highlight so that we will understand the intensity of this statement. Jesus is not making this statement simply to add clarity to the petition for forgiveness found in verse 12, but he is saying this in such a way as to add teeth to the petition—to drive it home as a carpenter hammers in a nail. This statement is meant to make us feel uncomfortable and if we simply gloss over it lightly, we are not doing justice to the text.
The first thing that we should note is that most English translations do well when they translate the word for offense differently than they do verse 12. Most will translate verse 12 as “forgive us our debits” and verse 14 and 15 as “trespasses.” When we looked at the body of the Lord’s Prayer, we discussed how some groups have gone back to use the term “trespass” in the actual body of the Lord’s prayer when they recite it. Though this conveys a very similar idea, translating both verses in the same way causes these two verses to loose some of their punch.
In Greek, there are two separate words at work. The word found in verse 12 is the word ojfei÷lhma (opheilama), which literally refers to a financial debit that is owed to another. This, we discussed in terms of our sin debit that is owed to God—something that we could never hope to pay and that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was a payment for the debit that his people owe to God.
Yet, in these verses, Jesus alternates to the term para¿ptwma (paraptoma), which is used to refer to wrongdoing or sin. As you would read through these verses that follow the Lord’s Prayer, you should be expecting that the word ojfei÷lhma (opheilama) would be used, and there is a shift to para¿ptwma (paraptoma). This would have caught his original hearers off guard, just as it should catch us off guard when we see the word change from “debit” to “trespass.” When you read that, a flag should go up, and you should immediately be asking yourself, “why is there a change in language here?” That forces you to stop and allow these two verse to sink into your heart.
Secondly, there is a parallel structure to these two verses. Essentially, both verses say the same thing, but they do so in two different ways and from two perspectives (one positive and one negative. The language of “offenses” acts as outer bookends or parenthesis to Jesus’ statement. This kind of thing is very common within the Hebrew psalms and other poetic literature, and is used specifically for emphasis. And indeed, that is exactly what Jesus is doing—emphasizing this incredibly important doctrine of forgiveness.
This may seem incredibly technical to be discussing when dealing with verses like this, but when you start to get the handle on what Jesus is doing by structuring his statement in this way, you can begin to appreciate how much it should stand out as being important to deal with as we struggle to grow in our faith. God gives many wonderful blessings to his people, people who have been forgiven more than we can begin to imagine—but at the same time, he expects us to forgive others their sins toward us. Loved ones, how is it that we who have been forgiven so much neglect to forgive others the petty things that they offend us with?
The Preacher's Study 